Freed SAS sniper Danny Nightingale thanks wife, public and kind world

SAS sniper Danny Nightingale, who was jailed for illegally possessing a pistol, has walked free after having his 18 month sentence reduced to 12 months and suspended at the Court of Appeal.

9:41PM GMT 29 Nov 2012

An SAS sniper, jailed for illegally possessing a pistol brought back from Iraq, thanked the kindness of the “Great British public” as he was dramatically freed from custody.

Sergeant Danny Nightingale, 37, wiped away tears as he was reunited with his wife Sally, following a decision by the Court of Appeal to reduce his sentence.

The father of two, who was described in court as one of the elite regiment’s most exemplary soldiers, had been sentenced to 18 months military detention after pleading guilty to unlawfully possessing a Glock 9mm pistol and a large amount of ammunition.

But in emotional scenes at the Royal Courts of Justice, three judges – Lord Chief Justice Lord Judge, Mr Justice Fulford and Mr Justice Bean – ruled that the sentence had been too harsh and reduced it to 12-months.

Suspending the sentence for 12-months, Sgt Nightingale was told he would be freed immediately and was also granted leave to appeal against his conviction on the grounds that his guilty plea had been made on the basis of unsound advice.